Raymond stared up at her. “What’s the matter? What’s happening?”
“Nothing. Everything’s fine,” she said tersely. “Luis took the dog for a walk.”
The moment passed. I was beginning to recognize the shifts in his moods. The spill of rage stirred sexuality. Before he could slide his hands up along her thighs, she removed herself from his lap as if she were getting off a horse. She smoothed her shorts and crossed to the television set, where she scooped up the deck of cards that was sitting on top. “Let’splay gin rummy,” she said. “A nickel a point.”
Raymond smiled, indulging her, probably thinking he would nail her later.
When Luis came back with the dog, Bibianna lent me some jeans, a T-shirt, and some tennies so we could go out to dinner. The four of us left on foot and headed into the dismal commercial district that bordered the apartment complex. We crossed a vacant lot and went in through the rear entrance of a restaurant called El Polio Norteno, which by my translation meant the North Chicken. The place was noisy, vinyl tile floor, the walls covered in panels of plastic laminate. The room felt close, nearly claustrophobic from the flame grills in the rear. Countless chickens were trussed on a rotating spit, brown and succulent, skins crisp and glistening with sputtering fat. The noise level was battering, mariachi music punctuated by a constant irregular banging of the cleavers whacking whole chickens into quarters and halves. The menu was listed on a board behind the register. We ordered at the counter, picked up four beers, and then canvassed, looking for a booth. The place was crowded, patrons spilling out onto a makeshift wooden deck that was actually an improvement. It was quieter out there and the chill California night air was a distinct relief. Moments later, a waitress appeared with our order on a tray, setting down paper plates and plastic flatware. We tore the chicken with our hands, piling shreds of grilled meat onto soft corn tortillas, spooning pinto beans and fresh salsa on top. It was a three-paper-napkin extravaganza of messy hands and dripping chins. Afterward, we adjourned to a bar two doors away. It was nine by then.
The Aztlan was smoky, cavernous, ill lighted, occupied almost exclusively by Hispanic men whose eyes, at that hour, were turning slippery from all the alcohol they’d consumed. The laughter came in constant, raucous bursts that were sly and assaultive, very worrisome. There was, on the surface, a thin veneer of control. Under it, and unpredictable, was the boiling violence of youth. The Spanish music I was cranked up to a feverish pitch, forcing loud talk in f aggressive tones that even merriment couldn’t mask. I took my cue from Bibianna, who seemed watchful, her sexuality under wraps. Here, there was none of the familiar bantering I’d seen in the Meat Locker. Raymond was too easily set off and her intentions were too readily misunderstood. Luis seemed right at home, sauntering to the bar with his macho attitude. In his snowy white undershirt, his bare arms were a moving cartoon, Daffy Duck and Donald Duck in aggressive black and yellow.
While Luis fetched four more beers, we pushed through the crowd toward the back. In a second room about half the size of the first, there were three pool tables, two of them occupied. The felt surfaces looked as green as grassy islands under hot hanging lights. The dark of the ceiling was broken up by the blinking of multicolored Christmas tree lights that were probably strung up year-round. Raymond found an empty booth and Bibianna slid in. I was bringing up the rear, sidetracked by the jostling of the intervening mob. I felt a hand on my arm, impeding my progress. “Hey, babe. You play pool?” I knew the voice. I turned and it was Tate.
I could feel my heart do a flip-flop, fearing Raymond’s reaction. I glanced back at Bibianna automatically. She was squeezed into the booth, facing in my direction. She must
have recognized Tate about the time I did because her face seemed to pale.
“Let’s just mosey over to the pool table,” Tate said under his breath. “Has Raymond figured out yet it was me killed Chago?”
“If he did, you’d be a dead man. Dawna got picked up before she could tell him everything. Why don’t you get out while you can,” I murmured.
Tate took my arm, moving me toward the pool table. “Aren’t you happy to see me?”
I closed my eyes briefly. “Jesus, Tate. Get away from me. What are you doing here?”
He took my hand. I was forced to follow as we crossed to the rack of pool cues, where I watched Tate select one. “I had to see Bibianna. She tell you about us?”
“Of course. You could have told me yourself if you’d trusted me.”
“Who had time? I’ve busy shooting bad guys.” He raised the cue to shoulder height and sighted down the length of it like a rifle. “Boom.”
“How’d you know where we’d be?”
“Pick a cue stick,” he said.
I chose one at random, too distracted to be particular, not that I have a clue about the qualities of a good cue.
“Not that one.” He handed me another cue stick and then continued casually. “This is Raymond’s hangout. You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out where he’ll be. By the way, if Raymond comes over and wants to know what’s going on, tell him the truth – we went to grade school together.”
“How’d you get out of the slammer? I thought you were broke. What’s bail on a murder charge, two hundred thousand bucks?”
“Two fifty. I got a friend in Montebello who put up his house. My attorney got bail knocked down to a hundred grand. I’m out on OR plus bail. …”
“And they let you leave the county?”
“Quit worryin. It’s legitimate. I talked my probation officer into an eight-hour turnaround. My wife’s sick, I said. I’m due back in Santa Teresa by six A.M. or they’ll throw me in the can again.” Tate arranged the balls in the rack and broke. Balls scattered everywhere with a satisfying crack.
“What are we doing? I haven’t played pool for years.”
“Eight-ball. It’s your shot.”
“You’re very cute,” I said without much conviction. “Just tell me what to hit and let’s get on with it.”
“You think I can have time alone with her?”
“No.”
“Would you give her a message? Would you tell her I’m doing everything I can to get her out of here?”
“Sure.”
We played pool. Jimmy Tate pretended to tutor me and I took instruction, all in the interest of conducting a tense conversation overlaid with bright smiles. From a distance, I hoped we’d look like potential bedmates to someone who would kill us if he figured out what was actually happening. Tate loved it, of course. This was just the sort of situation he thrived on – out there on the front line, taking flak, taking risks in the name of I don’t even know what. I was feeling that same sick sensation that prefaces a tetanus shot. Something bad was going to happen and I couldn’t figure out how to escape it.
Tate said, “You taking good care of her for me?”
“I’m a real champ,” I said. “This is the last time I’m ever doing shit like this for anyone.”
He smiled. “That’s because you’d rather kick butt.”
“You got that right.”
Tate cleaned up the table and we joined the other three, who were bunched into the booth. Luis got up and I slid in beside Tate, who remained carefully attentive to me in the process. Luis found an empty chair and pulled it over to the table. I think it was the first time I ever served as a “beard” in a dangerous liaison. Liar that I am under ordinary circumstances, I found it a tricky business to fake a flirtation. I felt awkward and false, reactions not lost on Raymond, whose radar was telling him enemy aircraft were somewhere in the area. I felt his eyes scan my face with a half-formed question. Maybe he’d write me off as a hopeless social oaf. Certainly the woodenness of my response to Tate was obvious.
Tate proceeded to tease me outrageously under Bibianna’s watchful gaze. She was feigning indifference, but her interest was obvious. Aside from the fact the situation scared me silly, I was glad to have Tate on the scene. I hadn’t realized, before he showed up, how isolated I was feeling. I was still vulnerable, of course – more so with him there – but at least I had a friend, and I knew, from my long experience, he’d lay down his life for me if it came to that.
Bibianna, in range of Jimmy Tate again, began to do the ritual dance. There was nothing overt in her behavior. She went out of her way to cater to Raymond, tucking her arm in his, leaning against him so that her breast brushed his arm enticingly. She and Tate avoided eye contact, ignoring one another so pointedly I’d have thought them rude if I hadn’t known their true relationship. As it was, the game they played was far riskier. The color crept up in her cheeks unbidden. I watched the sexuality emerge, some ancient, unspeakable response to her mate. I couldn’t believe Raymond didn’t pick up on it. The only clue I had about his inner state was the eruption of the tics, which were running once a minute.