I did have this momentary thingI don't know how...
I did have this momentary thingI
don't know how to describe it
"Was it a momentary thing where you felt like
chopping off his dick, then putting out his eyes
with a hot toasting-fork? Was it that momentary
thing, muchacho?" Wireman made the thumb and
forefinger of one hand into a gun and pointed it
at me"I was married to a Mexican lassie, and I
know jealousy
"Did your wife ever I stopped, suddenly aware
all over again that I'd only met this man the day
beforeThat was easy to forget
"No, amigo, not to my knowledgeWhat she did was
die on me His face was perfectly expressionless
"Let's not go there, okay?"
"Okay
"Thing to remember about jealousy is it comes, it
goesLike the afternoon showers down here gucci replica during
the mean seasonYou're over it, you sayYou
should be, because you ain't her campesino no more
The question is what you're going to do about this
other thingHow you going to keep this guy from
253
killing himself? Because you know what happens
when the happy-family cruise is over, right?"
For a moment I said nothingI was translating
that last bit of Spanish, or trying toYou ain't
her farmer no more, was that right? If so, it had
a bitter ring of truth
"Muchacho? Your next move?"
"I don't know," I said"He's got e-mail, but what
do I write to him? 'Dear Tom, I'm worried you're
contemplating suicide, please reply soonest'? I
bet he's not checking his e-mail while he's on
vacation, anywayHe's got balenciaga purses two ex-wives, and still
pays alimony to one of them, but he's not close to
eitherThere was one kid, but he died in infancy
- spina bifida, I think - andwhat? What?"
Wireman had turned away and sat slouched in his
chair, looking out at the water, where pelicans
were diving for their own high teaHis body
English suggested disgustYou know damn
well who knows him
"Pam? You mean Pam?"
He only looked at me
254
"Are you going to talk, Wireman, or only sit
there?"
"I have to check on my ladyShe'll be up by now
and she's going to want her four o'clockies
"Pam would think I'm crazy! Hell, she still thinks
I'm crazy!"
"Convince her Then he relented a littleIf she's been as close to him as you think,
she'll prada made in china have seen the signsAnd all you can do is
tryEntiendes?"
"I don't understand what that means
"It means call your wifeUntil your mind changes, the divorce is
just a legal fictionThat's why you give a shit
what she thinks about your state of mindBut if
you also care about this guy, you'll call her and
tell her you have reason to think he's planning to
highside it
He heaved himself out of his chair, then held out
his handCome on and meet the
bossAs bosses go, she's a
pretty nice one
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I took his hand and let him pull me out of what I
presumed was a replacement beach chairHe had a
strong gripThat was something else I'll never
forget about Jerome Wireman; the man had a strong
gripThe boardwalk up to the chanel coin purse gate in the back
wall was only wide enough for one, so I followed,
limping gamely alongWhen he reached the gate -
which was a smaller version of the one in front
and looked as Spanish as Wireman's offhand patois
- he turned toward me, smiling a little
"Josie comes in to clean Tuesdays and Thursdays,
and she's willing to keep an ear out for Miss
Eastlake during her afternoon nap - which means I
could come down and look at your pictures tomorrow
afternoon around two, if that suits
"How did you know I wanted you to? I was still
working up the nerve to ask"It's pretty obvious you want someone
to look before you show them to the guy at that
galleryBesides your daughter and the kid who
runs your errands, tiffany bracelets tha