You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 19~20

Chapter NineteenOur Dead HomeysThe vampires sat post by side on the b atomic number 18 futon frame, watching as a five-legged bug limped up the big front window of the loft.Tommy suasion that the round of the bugs steps made a for a danceable gagebeat thought he exponent be able to set music to it, if he knew how to keep open music. Suite for Angst and Limping Bug, hed c every it.Nice bug, Tommy tell.Yeah, Jody said.We should save it for Abby, Jody thought. She was toneing delicatessen foodnquent ab come forward having bit cristal the girl non so much because of the violation, because obviously the jolly had been willing, b arly because she felt as if she re solelyy didnt contract any choice. She had been wound and her predator nature told her to survive, whatever the cost, which is what bo in that respectd her. Was her humanity drifting aside?The Animals are set updton to come for us now, Tommy said. He was feeling angry, betrayed by his old crew, but most of a ll he felt scatter from them now. He felt separate from everyone. Tomorrow was Christmas and he didnt even desire to call his parents because they were a different species now. What do you buy for an inferior species?Its ponderous the Animals, Jody said. Well be safe.Ill bet thats what Elijah thought, as well, and they got him.We should go secure him, Jody said. She imagined Elijah Ben Sapir, standing in the climb sun by the Ferry Building, tourists passing him, wondering why psyche would put a statue in that location. Would the brass protect him?Tommy aimed his watch. Wed never beat there and back in magazine. I tried that yester twenty-four hour period.How could you do that to him, Tommy? He was one of us.One of us? He was going to kill us, if you remember. He kind of did kill us. I resent that. Besides, if youre covered in bronze, what does it field if youre underwater? I was expert trying to catch up with believe him off of band so we could turn over over ab em erge our future with come protrude him creation p guile of it.Right. ok, Jody said. Sorry. succeeding(a)? Shed lived with a half-dozen guys, none had ever willingly talked round the future forward. And she and Tommy had a supersized buttload of future ahead of them as presbyopic as nearone didnt fancy them dormancy. Maybe we real should leave the City, she said. No one would know ab show up us in a new city.I was thinking we should support a Christmas tree, Tommy said.Jody requireed away from the bug. Thats a thought, or we could put rough mistletoe up, put on Christmas carols, and stand outside waiting for Santa until the sun comes up and incinerates us. Hows that sound?Nobody appreciates your sarcasm, missy. Im just trying to fall a wait on normal. Three months ago I was stocking groceries in Indiana, looking at community college, driving around in my crappy car, wishing I had a girlfriend, and wishing that there was close towhat po tential for something to hap pen beyond attractting a job with benefits and living the same life as my dad. Now I give birth a girlfriend, and superpowers, and a bunch of spate want to kill me, and I dont know how to act. I dont know what to do next. And its going to be that way forever. Forever Im going to be stimulate out of my mind forever I cant deal with forever.Hed been barking at her, but she resisted the urge to snap back. He was nineteen, not a one hundred and cubic decimetre he didnt even wee-wee the tools for being an adult, let alone being immortal. I know, she said. Tomorrow nighttime, eldest thing, well hire a car, go get Elijah, and pick up a Christmas tree on the way back. Hows that sound?Hiring a car? That sounds exotic.Itll be homogeneous prom. Was she being too condescending?You dont have to do that, he said. Im sorry Im acting the wishs of a weenie.But youre my weenie, Jody said. Take me to bed.Still holding her hand, he stood, then(prenominal) pulled her up into his arms. Well be okay, right?She nodded and kissed him, feeling for just a second corresponding a girl in love instead of a predator. She at a time felt a resurgence of shame over fertilizeing on Abby.The accessbell rang.Did you know we had a doorbell?Nope.You cant beat a at peace(predicate) whore in the good morning, said Nick Cavuto cheerfully, because apparently, everyone loves a dead hooker, in spite of what certain writer types might think. They were standing in the alley reach Mission Street.Dorothy elevate short, pretty, and whip-smart snorted a laugh and checked the thermometer probe shed stuck in the deceaseds liver like a meat thermometer into a roast. She hasnt been dead intravenous feeding hours, guys.Rivera rubbed his temples and felt his bookstore slipping away, along with his marriage. Hed known the marriage had been going for a trance, but he was feeling a little sorrowful about the bookstore. He figured he knew, but he asked anyway. realize of death?Toothy whiff job, Cavuto said.Yes, Alphonse, said Dorothy with a tad too much sincerity, Id have to concur with Detective Cavuto, she died of a toothy blow job.It just pisses some guys off, Cavuto added, a professional without skills.Guy just snapped her have it away and took his money back, said Dorothy with a big grin.So a broken in neck? said Rivera, mentally motion goodbye to a self-coloured set of first-edition Raymond Chandlers, ten-to-six workdays, golfing on Mondays.Cavuto snorted this time. Her heads dour around the wrong way, Rivera. What did you think it was?Seriously, Dorothy Chin said, I have to do the autopsy to be sure, but offhand thats the obvious cause. Id also severalise shes probably lucky to go that way. Shes HIV positive and it looks like the disease had developed into full-blown AIDS.How do you know that?See these sarcomas on her feet.Chin had removed one of the hookers blank space she pointed to open sores on the corpses foot and ankle.Rivera sighed. He didnt wan t to ask, but he asked anyway, What about linage loss?Dorothy Chin had done the autopsies on deuce of the previous victims and cringed a little. It was a pattern. Theyd all been terminally ill, theyd all died of a broken neck, and theyd all shown evidence of extreme blood loss, but no external wounds not even a needle mark.Cant tell out here.Cavuto had lost his cheery manner now. So we spend Christmas day survey dirtbags to limit if anyone saw anything?At the end of the alley, uniforms were still talking to the unclean baseless man who had called in the murder. He was trying to get them to onslaught for a bottle of whiskey because it was Christmas. Rivera didnt want to go home, but he didnt want to spend a day trying to recuperate out what he already knew. He checked his watch.What time was sunrise this morning? he asked.Oh, wait, Cavuto said, patting floor his pockets, Ill check my almanac.Dorothy Chin snorted again, then started giggling.Dr. Chin, Rivera said, tightening down now, could you be more precise about the time of death?Chin picked up on Riveras tone and went full professional. Sure. in that respects an algorithm for the self-possesseding time of a body. Get me the weather from last night, let me get her back to the morgue and weigh her, and Ill get you a time within ten minutes.What? Cavuto said to Chin. What? This time to Rivera.Winter solstice, Nick, Rivera said. Christmas was originally set at the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Its eleven-thirty now. Im betting that four hours ago the sun was just advent up.Uh-huh, Cavuto said. Prostitutes have s hitty hours is that what youre reflexion?Rivera raised an eyebrow. Our guy didnt travel farthermostthermost after sunrise, is what Im saying. Hes going to be around here.I was afraid thats what you were saying, Cavuto said. Were never going to get the bookstore open, are we?Tell the uniforms to look anyplace its dark under Dumpsters, in crawl spaces, attics anywhere.G etting warrants on Christmas day might be a problem.You wont need warrants if you get permission from the owners were not looking to bust anyone living here, were looking for a murder suspect.Cavuto pointed to the eight-story brick systema skeletale that composed one wall of the alley. This building has something like eight hundred ministorage units in it.Then you guys had better get started.Wherere you going?There was a missing person report on an old guy in North Beach a couple of days ago. Im going to check it out.Because you dont want to go Dumpster diving for v Because, Rivera cut him off before he could say the V-word, he had terminal cancer. His wife assumed he just wandered off and got lost. Now Im not so sure. Call me if you find anything.Uh-huh. Cavuto turned to the three uniforms who were interviewing the bum. Hey, guys, have I got a merry Christmas occurrence for you.The Animals decided to hold a minute memorial service for glum in Chinatown. troy weight Lee was already there, as was jactitate, who wouldnt go home to his apartment until Blues body was removed, and Barry, who was Jewish, would be coming there for dinner with his family, as was the tradition in his faith. Plus, the liquor stores in Chinatown were open on Christmas, and if you slipped some money under the counter, you could get firecrackers. The Animals were fairly sure that Blue would have wanted firecrackers at her funeral.The Animals stood in a semicircle, beers in hand, on a playground off Grant Street. The deceased was being honored in absentia in her place was a half-eaten pair of edible panties. From a distance, they looked like a bunch of wastrels mourning a Fruit Roll-Up.Id like to start, if I may, said pull. He wore a long overcoat and his hair was level(p) back with a black ribbon, revealing the target-shaped bruise on his os frontale where Jody had hit him with the wine bottle. bug out of his coat he pulled a resound the size of a tenor sax, and using a long f latboat designed for lighting fireplaces, he sparked that magnificent mama-jama up and bubbled away like a scuba diver having an asthma attack. When he could hold no more, he raised the bong, poured some water on the ground, and croaked, To Blue, which came out in a perfect smoke ring, the sight of which brought tears to everyones eyes.To Blue, everyone repeated as they placed one hand on the bong and tipped a bit out of their beers.To Broo, my nigga, said Troy Lees grandma, who had insisted upon joining the ceremony once she realized there would be firecrackers.She will be avenged, said scold.And well get our get bying money back, said Jeff, the big jock.Amen, the Animals said.They had decided on a nondenominational ceremony, as Barry was a Jew, Troy Lee was a Buddhist, Clint was an Evangelical, Drew was a Rastafarian, Gustavo was a Catholic, and Lash and Jeff were heathen stoners. Gustavo had been called in to work that day because someone had to be in the store as long as the front was solitary(prenominal) boarded up with plywood, so in deference to his beliefs, they had bought some infuriate and holders and placed a picket fence of smoldering joss sticks around the edible panty. The incense also worked within Troy and Grandmas Buddhist tradition, and Lash pointed out during the ceremony that although they have their differences otherwise, all gods like a good-smellin ho.Amen said the Animals again.And theyre handy for lightin firecrackers off of, added Jeff as he bent over an incense stick and set a string cracking.Hallelujah said the Animals.Each offered to per centum some kind of memory of Blue, but all of their stories quickly degenerated to orifices and squishiness, and no one wanted to go there in front of Troys grandma, so instead they threw firecrackers at Clint while he read from the Twenty-third Psalm. in advance they cracked the second gaucherie of beer, it was decided that after dark, three of them Lash, Troy Lee, and Barry would take Bl ue from Lashs apartment, load her into the back of Barrys station wagon, and take her out in the middle of the Bay in Barrys Zodiac. (Barry was the diver of the bunch, and had all the cool aquatic stuff. Theyd employ his spearguns to help take down the old vampire.)Lash braced himself as he opened the apartment door, but to his surprise, there was no smell. He led Barry and Troy into the bedroom, and together they wrestled the rolled-up rug out of the closet.Its not heavy enough, Barry said.Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, Troy said, trying furiously to unroll the rug. at long last Lash reached down, grabbed the progress of the rug, and whipped it up over his head. There was a boring sound against the far wall, followed by the jingle of metal, like coins settling.The three Animals stood and stared.What are those? Asked Barry.Earrings, answered Troy. Indeed, there were seven earrings settling on the solidwood floor.Not those. Those Barry nodded toward two clear, cantaloupe-sized, gelat inlike lozenges that quivered on the floor like stranded jellyfish.Lash shivered. Ive seen them before. My brother used to work in a plant in Santa Barbara that made them.What the fuck are they? Said Troy, squinting by dint of a winoen haze.Those are breast implants, Lash said.What are those wormy things? asked Barry. There were two unmistakable sluglike blobs of something stuck to the rug near the edge.Looks like window caulk, said Lash. He spy that there was a fine blue powder near the edge of the rug. He ran his hand over it, pinched some on his fingers, and sniffed it. Nothing.Whered she go? asked Barry.No idea, said Lash.Chapter TwentyIts a Wonderful LifeGustavo Chavez had been innate(p) the seventh child of a brick maker in a small village in the state of Michoacan, Mexico. At eighteen he unite a local girl, the daughter of a farmer, herself a seventh child, and at twenty, with his second child on the way, he crossed the border into the joined States, where he lived with a cousin in Oakland, along with a spend a penny of other relatives, and worked grueling, twelve-hour days as a laborer, making enough to feed himself and send more money home to his family than he could possibly have made in his drives brickyard. He did this because it was the responsible and right thing to do, and because he had been raised a good Catholic man who, like his father, would provide for his family and no more than two or three mistresses. Each year, about a month before Christmas, he would sneak back crosswise the border to celebrate Christmas with his family, meet any new children that might been born, and make love with his wife, mare, until they were both so sore it hurt to walk. In fact, the day-dream of Marias inviting thighs would often begin haunting him around Halloween and the hapless night usher would find himself in a state of semiarousal as he swung his buttery mop, to and fro, across fifteen thousand square feet of linoleum every night.this night he was in the store alone, and he was feeling far from aroused, for it was Christmas night, and he could not go to mass or take Communion until he confessed. He was feeling deeply ashamed. Christmas night and he hadnt even called Maria hadnt spoken to her for weeks, because like the rest of the Animals, he had gone to Las Vegas, and had given all his money to the blue whore.He had called, of course, after theyd first taken the vampires art and sold it for so much money, but since then, his life had been a obscure of tequila and marijuana and the evil attentions of the blue one. He, a good man, who cared for his family, had never hit his wife, had only cheated with a second cousin and never with a face cloth woman, had been undone by the curse of the blue devils pussy. La maldicin de la cocha del diablo azul.This is the saddest, loneliest Christmas ever, thought Gustavo as he dragged his mop past the canvas doors leading into the produce-department cooler. I am like the poor cabrn i n that book The Pearl, where by obviously trying to take advantage of some good fortune, I have lost all that I care about. Okay, I did get drunk for a week and my pearl was a blue whore who fucked the chimichangas out of me, but still, pretty sad. He thought these things in Spanish, so they sounded interminably more tragic and romantic.Then there came a noise from the cooler, and he was startled for a second. He wrung out his mop, so as to be ready for anything. He didnt like being in the store by himself, but with the front windows broken out, someone had to be here, and because he was far from home, had nowhere else to go, and the union would see that he was paid double time, Gustavo had volunteered. possibly if he sent home a little extra, Maria might forget the hundred thousand dollars hed promised.There, something was moving behind the plastic doors of the cooler, which were waving slightly. The stout Mexican crossed himself and backed out of the produce department, light his mop now in quick swaths, leaving barely a hint of discoverness on the linoleum. He was by the dairy case now, and a stack of yogurts fell over inside the glass doors, as if someone had shoved them out of the way to look through.Gustavo dropped the mop and ran to the back of the store, saying a Hail Mary peppered with swearwords as he went, wondering if those were footsteps he perceive behind him, or the echoes of his own footfalls resounding through the creaky store.Out the front door and away, he chanted in his head. Out the front door and away. He nearly fell rounding the turn at the meat case, his shoes still wet from the mop water. He caught himself on one hand and came up like a sprinter, while reaching back on his belt for his keys as he went.There were footfalls behind him light, slapping bare feet on linoleum, but fast, and close. He couldnt stop to open up the door when he got there, he couldnt look back, he couldnt turn to look a second of hesitation and he woul d be lost. He exhaled a long wail and ran right through a rack of glass and gum by the registers. He tumbled over the first register in an avalanche of candy bars and magazines, many of which displayed headlines like I marry BIGFOOT, or SPACE ALIEN CULT TAKES OVER HOLLYWOOD, or vampires campaign our driveways, and other such nonsense.Gustavo scrambled out of the pile and was crawling on his belly like a desert lizard scrambling to get across hot sand, when a heavy weight came down on his back, bash the air out of him. He gasped, trying to get his breath, but something grabbed him by the hair and yanked his head backwards. He heard crackling noises in his ear, smelled something like rotten meat, and gagged. He saw the fluorescent lights, some canned hams, and a very happy cardboard elf making cookies as he was dragged down the aisle and through the doors into the dark back room of the deli like so much lunch meat.Feliz navidad.Our first Christmas together, Jody said, kissing him on the cheek giving his butt a little squeeze through his pj bottoms. Did you get me something cute?Hi, Mom, Tommy said into the phone. Its Tommy.Tommy. Sweetheart. Weve been calling all day. It just rang and rang. I thought you were going to come home for Christmas.Well, you know, Mom, Im in management at the store now. Responsibilities.Are you working hard enough?Oh yeah, Mom. Im working ten sixteen hours a day sometimes. Exhausted.Well good. And you have insurance?The best, Mom. The best. Im nearly bulletproof.Well, I suppose thats good. Youre not still working that horrible night shift, are you?Well, sort of. In the grocery business, thats where the money is.You need to get on the day shift. Youre never going to meet a clear girl working those hours, son.It was at this point, having heard Mother Floods admonition, that Jody lifted her shirt and rubbed her bare breasts against him while batting her eyelashes coquettishly.But I have met a nice girl, Mom. Her name is Jody. Shes studying to be a nun er, teacher. She helps the poor.It was then that Jody pantsed him, then ran into the bedroom giggling. He caught himself on the counter to keep from stunt flying over.Whoa.What, son? Whats the matter?Nothing, nothing, Mom. I just had a little eggnog with the guys and started to feel it.Youre not on the drugs, are you, honey?No, no, no, nothing like that.Because your father has rehab benefits on you until youre twenty-one. We can have one of those interventions if you can find a cheap flight home. I know that Aunt Esther would love to see you, even if you are strung out on the crack.And I her, and I her, Mom. Look, I just called to say Merry Christmas, Ill let you Wait, honey, your father wants to say hi. go.Hey, Skeeter. Frisco turned you into an ass bandit yet?Hi, Dad. Merry Christmas.Glad you eventually called. Your mother was worried sick about you.Well, you know, the grocery business.You working hard enough?Trying. Theyre cutting back on our OT union will only let us work sixty hours a week.Well, as long as youre trying. Hows that old Volvo running?Great. Like a top. The Volvo had burned to the wheels his first day in the City.Swiss sure can build some cars, cant they? Cant say much for those little red pocketknives they make, but sonsabitches can build a car.Swedes.Yeah, well, I love the little meatballs too. Look, kid, your mothers got me deep-frying a turkey out in the driveway. Its starting to smoke a little. I probably oughta should go check on it. Took an hour to get the oil up to travel rapidly its only about ten degrees here today.Yeah, its a little cayenne pepper here, too.Looks like its starting to catch the carport on fire a little. Better go.Okay. Love you, Dad.Call your mother more often, she worries. Holy cats, there goes the Oldsmobile. Bye, son.A half hour later they were sipping coffee laced with Williams blood when the doorbell rang again. This is getting irritating, Jody said.Call your mom, Tommy said. Ill get it.We should get some sleeping pills knock him out so he doesnt have to drink all that booze before we bleed him.The doorbell rang again.We just need to get him a key. Tommy went to the console by the door and pushed the button. There was a seethe and the click of the lock at street level. The door opened William coming in to settle on the stairs for the night. I dont know how he sleeps on those steps.He doesnt sleep. He passes out, said the undead redhead. Do you think if we gave him peppermint schnapps the coffee would have a minty holiday flavor?Tommy shrugged. He went to the door, threw it open, and called down. William, you like peppermint schnapps?William raised a grimy eyebrow, looking suspicious. You got something against scotch?No, no, I dont want to mess up your discipline. I was just thinking of a more balanced diet. Food groups, you know.I had some soup and some beer today, William said.Okay then.Schnapps gives me mint farts. They scare the sinfulness out of Che t.Tommy turned to Jody and shook his head. Sorry, no way, minty farts. Then to William again Okay then, William. I gotta get back to the little woman. You need anything? Food, blanket, toothbrush, a damp towelette to freshen up?Nah, Im good, William said. He held up a fifth of insurgent Walker Black.Hows Chet doing?Stressed. We just found out our friend Sammy got murdered in the hotel on Eleventh. Chet looked up the stairwell with sad kitty eyes, which he sort of continuously seemed to have since hed been shaved.Sorry to hear that, Tommy said.Yeah, on Christmas, too, William said. Hooker got killed across the street last night, same way. Neck was snapped. Sammy has been sick for a while, so he splurged on a room for the holiday. Fuckers killed him right there in bed. righteous goes to show you.Tommy had no idea what it went to show you. Sad, Tommy said. So how come Chets show but youre not?Chet doesnt drink.Of course. Well then, Merry Christmas to you guys.You, too, said William , toasting with his bottle. whatever chance of a Christmas bonus, now that Im a full-time employee?Whatd you have in mind?Id sure like a gander at Reds bare knockers.Tommy turned to Jody, who was shaking her head, looking pretty determined.Sorry, Tommy said. How about a new jumper for Chet?William scowled. You just cant bargain with The Man. He took a drink from his bottle and turned away from Tommy as if he had something important to discuss with his huge shaved cat and couldnt be bothered with management.Okay then, Tommy said. He closed the door and returned to the counter. Im The Man, he said with a big grin.Your mom would be so proud, Jody said. We need to go see about Elijah.Not until you call your mom. Besides, hes waited this long, its not like hes going anywhere.Jody got up and came around the breakfast bar and took Tommys hand. Sweetie, I need you to play what William just said back in your mind, really slowly.I know, Im The ManNo, the part about his friend being killed b y a broken neck, and how he has been sick, and how someone else was killed the night before, also by broken neck. Ill bet she was sick, too. Sound like a pattern youve heard before?Oh my God, Tommy said.Uh-huh, Jody said. She held his hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles. Ill get my jacket while you fluff up your little brain for traveling, kay?Oh my God, youll do anything to get out of calling your mom.