Johnny Boy was sitting in the corner booth of an all-day bar in the University District. He looked around and saw a waitress cleaning a table nearby. Pretty hot. Tall. He looked at her chest. Nice rack. Well shaped, not too big. He squinted at her name badge.

“Her name’s Kelsey.”

23

23

The Worth of an Asset

The hot stickiness of the evening caressed Spencer’s skin as he reached out to buzz the gate, but before he could push the button, the barrier rose. In the loading bays, McGrath was talking to Johnny Boy, Eddie, and the Yo-Yo. Bathed in the fluorescent yellow of the loading bay lights, they leaned against the walkway railing, the sheen of sweat on their faces. McGrath’s shirtsleeves were uncharacteristically rolled up. Denny stuck his head around from inside the back of his truck, saw it was Spencer, and went back to whatever he was doing.

Johnny Boy signaled him to stay in the car. Seemed they wanted a private little powwow.

Spencer had plenty on his mind to pass the time. He was still in a state of semi-disbelief about what had gone, or stayed, down in Lonnie’s office. She’d hustled him out, no longer seeming to care about the forms that had necessitated his return in the first place.

He put the whole sorry tale down to his daughter being in the waiting room. That could get to any man, surely? But somewhere inside a little voice had started whispering uncomfortable truths about how he treated people. He’d known Lonnie had been falling for him, that he was a piece of shit really, and that his recent failure was, just maybe, a reflection of that.

McGrath, Johnny Boy, and Eddie headed over toward him. Eddie showed them his phone as they went, like he was offering to do something with it. It put Spencer on his guard. Eddie got in the front, Johnny Boy and McGrath in the back.

“Evening, Spence.”

“Dom. Guys.”

“How was today?” asked Johnny Boy.

“Pucky’s in the hospital. Drive-by. It was the Clark Park guys.”

“Imagine that,” said Johnny Boy. “Their new business partners. Told you they could never stay out of trouble.”

“So I guess I’ll be picking up from over the Vernor Highway any day now?”

“Watch this space.”

McGrath dropped his window. “Hey, Denny?”

Denny’s head appeared around the truck’s tailgate.

“Get moving, Denny, they’re waiting. And take precautions. If you think you’re being followed, call me.”

Spencer backed out of the loading bays and headed toward the barrier.

“Where to?” he asked.

“Left,” said McGrath. “See that part of the street where it’s really dark? Drive there and park it, facing this way.”

Spencer did so. He killed the lights but kept the engine on so he could run the air. They waited in the shadows.