Adrian Del Valle - Diego's Brooklyn Read online

  The Geek caught them. “Fantastic! Now get in the car, we’re all going for a ride.”

  “Where to, Big Jimmy?”

  “Brooklyn!”

  8:03 P.M. 240 Dean Street: Diego’s Apartment

  “Did ju have a nice time weeth Meester Reechards?”

  “We had a great time. I liked the brontosaurus. You wouldn’t believe how big that thing was. Hey, Mom, that was a nice block party we had yesterday.”

  “Eet was. Louie and Tony, they are so nice. I like Louie’s wife. She’s veddy nice, too. And all dee music and Meesees D’avino’s lasagna was so good. All those beeg important people, like Meester Reechards and Meester Herzog, I’m so surprise they come. I want to donce last night, but…well, Ju know…dee pain.”

  “You used to go dancing all the time with Poppy, didn’t you, Mom?”

  “Every Saturday at Roseland in dee city, and heem weeth a wooden leg.”

  “I’ll put the radio on for you.”

  “Put on dee nice station ju always like to play, 97, I think eet ees.”

  “All right, Mom. I’m sure glad you’re not asking for that “Le Lo Li”, Island music, again.”

  The radio warmed up, screeching until it cleared into Dancing Cheek to Cheek, being sung by Louie Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.

  (Heaven…I’m in heaven…and the cares that hung around me…)

  “Ju done like dee Le Lo Li?” Ana asked. “Eet is good latino music.”

  “Not really, I’m not crazy about this one either. It’s old farty stuff from the fifties. I hate when they stick them in like this, especially after a good song. You want me to change it?”

  “No, I like thees song. Eets one of dee songs me und ju Poppa use to donce to.”

  The song brought Ana back to a time of deep nurtured love when life was at its fullest. Back then, long black, wavy hair flowed to her waist like a fabled princess. It was a time of light heeled dance with a soul mate who shared everything with her. Now, all she had left of his legacy was their shared child, a gift she still worshipped him for. She missed him terribly. And how could their child ever know what she still felt inside for him—the missing, the tears, the loneliness, the forever lost love she now had to endure.

  “Mom, as long as you like it, I‘ll leave it on.”

  “Si, I like eet. Now come donce weeth ju mamita, Diego.”

  “Aw, that’s so silly.”

  “No ees not! Come donce weeth me.”

  “What about your hip?”

  “Ees okay. I’m not too worry for dee pain. Come donce before thees song ees feenish.”

  With one hand gripping the edge of the table and the other holding onto the back of a chair, Ana inched herself along until she stood half bent over in the aisle.

  (…climb a mountain and reach the highest peak, but it wouldn’t thrill me half as much as dancing cheek to cheek.)

  She let go of the chair, took a short step forward and reached out for her son. “Come, Hijo, speen me around and less see what we con do.”

  “Yeah, sure, Mom. Just be careful.”

  (Oh, when we’re out together…)

  Ana stumbled, tried to catch herself and fell into Diego’s outstretched arms.”

  (As when we’re dancing cheek to cheek.)

  “See that! How do you expect to dance? Why don’t you sit down on the couch and I’ll stay and listen to the radio with you?”

  “Oh, Diego!” Ana play slapped him on the arm. “Now donce and leesten to dee song.”

  (…highest peak, but It wouldn’t be half as much…)

  Holding his mother by the waist, he turned her in a slow circle.

  “No, Diego! Ju have to toush my cheek…like dee song says to do.” She grabbed the back of Diego’s head and pushed his cheek into hers. “See, Hijo, I told ju we can do eet?”

  “Yeah…right!”

  “Leesten to dee preedy words. When me and ju are outside togaythor, we can donse togaythor, Ju und I.”

  “I don’t think those are the exact words, Mom.”

  “If eet done bother for ju poppa, den eet should not bother for ju. Dame un besito, mi muneco.”

  “Diego kissed his mother on the cheek like she asked, then helped her to the couch. “Mom, why are you so afraid of doctors?”

  “Because they do notheeng for ju poppa.”

  “Well, that’s not the doctors fault, is it?”

  “I theeng so. They done know no-theeng.”

  “That’s not very scientific.”

  “I done care if eet is not sci…sci…”

  “Scientific, Mom.”

  “Si…I done care. I’m too tired now to talk about eet.”

  “You really need to go to a clinic. At least let them take a look. I’ll go with you, please?”

  “No, Hijo. I’m too, afraid.”

  8:32 P.M. The front of Diego’s building

  “Leave the car double parked,” said Jimmy the Geek. “This won’t take long.”

  The three entered the building and went upstairs to the top floor. At 2B, The Geek turned the key and pushed the door open.

  “I‘ll search under the mattress.”

  Eddie pointed at the bureau. “Hey Tommy, go check da drawers.”

  “Oh, yeah? And what’re you gonna do, Eddie?”

  “I’m gonna stay ova hear and play wit my winky. Whaddya tink I’m gonna do, boid bwain? Doesn’t ya sees me headin’ for da closet wid dem cross eyed peepers of yaws?”

  “Yeah, I can see where ya headin’. And what winky are ya talkin’ ‘bout? Not dat short, teenie weenie worm whats in your pants, I hope.”

  “Well, at least it ain’t as short as yours. Is that why ya pees on your balls everytime ya goes to da baretroom?”

  “How would you know? Was ya salivaten while you was watchin’?”

  The Geek’s voice resonated loud and clear. “Are you two going to start that arguing again? Let’s go! Find the money!”

  “Nope, nuttin’ in the bureau,” said Tommy, leaving all five drawers opened.

  “Then check under the carpet!”

  “Now how do I do that, Big Jimmy, wit’ youze guys standin’ on it and alla dis furnicha what‘s here?”

  “No, not the whole thing. Pull up the corners.”

  “Yeah, woach bwain, maybe you’ll find some of youz’s long lost relatives under dere,” Eddie quipped.

  Jimmy shouted at the both of them. “Shut the hell up, you two knuckleheads and keep lookin’.”

  “Yeah, yeah!” Eddie buried his head inside the closet. Soon, his muffled voice returned from behind the clothes rack. “Hey, ya know what I foun‘?”

  Hopeful, The Geek looked up.

  “Dere’s a pencil size whole in da wall what’s looks right ova da topada tub. Hey, dis guy was a freakin,’ peepin’ Tommy.”

  “Hey, watch that!” said Tommy.

  “Yeah, wudda sleeze bag. Hey, whaddya say we wait and see if some chick uses da turly bowl? Huh? Whaddy say, fellas?”

  “Check the clothes and stay focused. There’s gotta be something in here.” Jimmy looked away from him and ripped the back panel off of the TV to search inside. He did the same for the radio. “Tommy! Ain’t you finished yet? Check his shoes and those boxes over there.”

  The Geek stood in front of the window and checked behind the curtain. “When you two get done, get out in the hall and look around. I’ll be in the bathroom.”

  As soon as he went into the hall, the door to 2A closed shut.

  “What the hell were you lookin’ at?” He snapped.

  He approached the door and knocked. No answer. He knocked again, a little louder this time. Still no answer. By now, the other two joined him in the hall to see what all the noise was about.

  “Somebody awfully nosy lives behind this door.”

  “Are ya gonna kick it in, Big Jimmy?” asked Tommy.

  “Hey, are you two finished in there?”

  “Ain’t nuttin’ left in dat room, not even a rat’s butt,” said E
ddie.

  “Then look in the rest of the hallway like I told you.”

  Jimmy banged on the door again. “Hey you in there! You didn’t hear nothing! Got it?”

  Entering the bathroom, the first place he searched was under the lid to the toilet tank. Finding it empty, he unraveled a strip of toilet paper from the roll and balled it up. Striking a match, he lit the paper and tossed it under the claw foot tub. Other than dust balls, a toothpaste cap, used Q Tips and cigarette butts, there was nothing else. He lit another and threw it underneath, just to make sure.

  Next, he pulled the mirror off the wall and turned the waste basket upside down.

  “There’s nothing in this room, either.”

  “Whaddya wanna do, Big Jimmy?” said Tommy.

  “Come on! I guess we gotta go tell Spillane.”

  The Geek got as far as the stairway. Tightening his grip on the banister, he scratched his day old whiskers while giving the whole thing more thought. “I can’t believe he spent all of that money. What time is it?”

  Fast Eddie checked. “8:44.”

  The huge man shook his head. “The money’s gotta be up here somewhere. You know what? There’s one more place we haven’t checked.”

  “2A?” said Fast Eddie.

  “Yeah…2A!”

  The Geek leaned over the railing and looked down.

  “Whaddya gonna do?” said Tommy.

  “Watch!” Lifting his foot, the Geek gave the door one solid shot that sent it slamming into the room and a row of full boxes stacked against the inside wall.

  “EEEEEEEEEE!” Mary toppled over backwards from the impact of the door to her face and hit the floor with a loud thud.

  “Dumb broad!” said The Geek. “That’s what you get for lookin’ through the keyhole. Hey Eddie, put a gag on her mouth. And you…keep your mouth shut lady, or you ain’t gonna have a head on your shoulders to yell from anymore.”

  “I…I have eight dollars and some change in my purse. Take it and anything else…mm, mm, mph…”

  “Tighter! Make it tighter! Now give her some room. Let her sit in the chair.” Jimmy’s arms folded as he gave her a long look of disgust.

  Gasping for breath, Mary, wearing an over washed, cotton house dress with nothing underneath, slowly turned around on her knees with her hairy butt facing the opened doorway.”

  “Nice…real nice,” said Fast Eddie, his head lowering and turning sideways for a better look.

  Gradually, Mary struggled to her feet and dropped heavily into her overstuffed recliner. The impact sent it slamming into the wall behind it.

  The Geek pulled up a wooden chair from the table and sat directly in front of her collapsed body, crammed into the cushions like an oversized clam too big for its shell. He lit a cigar, shook the match and threw it on the floor. He took a long, slow drag, exhaled with no thought as to direction, and with a sympathetic sounding voice, said, “Look lady, I’m only gonna say this once. We want the money and we think it’s in here. Now, you can be a nice fat lady and tell us where it is, or I’m gonna get awfully mad. Now, what’s it gonna be?”

  Mary’s eyes stared back, reddened and glistening like glazed cherries. She cowered as far into the recliner as she could possibly get and meekly nodded at the large man in front of her.”

  “Okay lady…I’m gonna take this gag off and no screaming…ya got that?”

  Mary nodded—a little faster this time.

  “Now…what’s your name?”

  “M-M-Mary…Mary.”

  “Mary, Mary, or just Mary?”

  “Just M-Mary. Wh—what do you boys want? AlI I have is…”

  “Yeah, yeah, we heard the one about the eight bucks, already. We want the big money. The $10,000 Barnes gave you to hold for him.”

  “Who…who’s Barnes?”

  “Oh, come on lady. The guy that lives behind 2B? Your boyfriend, maybe?”

  “2B? No….that, that’s not my boyfriend. I..I didn’t even know that was his last name. I only know him as Joe. All we ever said to one another was…maybe hello and that was only when I used the bathroo…”

  “Man, this broad is so full o’ shit.” The Geek stood up and leaned on the back of the chair. “You know what boys? I think we gotta waste the fat lady.”

  “Please. I’m telling you the truth. Look around all you want.”

  The Geek sucked in a drag and took a quick look around at all the clutter. The room had enough crap in it to fill a garbage truck. Any available floor space besides the main walkways, between the front door, the bed, and the window, was taken up by boxes and stacks of books or folded up clothes.

  He twisted the cigar out on the armrest, grabbed them both firmly and leaned over Mary. His huge head hovered above her for a moment and then slowly lowered until his nose was barely an inch away from hers. It made her visibly shake uncontrollably. Tears streamed down her cheeks with mucous trickling onto her upper lip.

  Broken, she blurted out, “I…I really don’t know anything. Besides, how much money do you think I really need to live in this place? I don’t go anywhere. I stay in this room all the time. I don’t even go downstairs.”

  “Oh yeah, den how do ya get your gwossries lady…by air mail?” said Fast Eddie. “Jeesh!”

  “Well, no…the kids…I…I give them a nickel and they…” Stopping in mid-sentence, she turned away from Fast Eddie to face the Geek, whose big head was once again barely an inch away from hers. Gasping, she jerked backwards into the cushions.

  “Man, dis lady’s a cry baby like the Barnes wuz,” said Fast Eddie.

  “Was?” Mary asked, red faced and inadvertently blowing bubbles through the mucous while shrinking from the Geek?

  “Yeah…was, like you’re gonna be,” he said. “Now, come clean and tell us what you know?”

  “Please…check the whole room if you want. I…I never had anything to do with him. That’s the God’s honest truth.”

  “What about the other room, lady…room 2C?”

  “Nobody’s been in that room for months.”

  “Go check it out Tommy, while me and Fast Eddie here have a pleasant little chat with Joe’s girlfriend.”

  “Please, I wasn’t his girlfriend. It wasn’t that way at all.”

  “Yeah, sure!” The Geek approached the window and looked down at the 12 stone steps of the front stoop immediately below him. “I had enough of this horse shit. Let‘s dump Mary Mary out this window, Fast Eddie.”

  “Ohhh, my God! Oh, please, please!”

  Eddie had a worried look on his face. “Ya know what, Big Jimmy? I really don’t think she knows anyting, I really don’t.” He nervously unwrapped a Bazooka, tossed the gum into his mouth and furiously began chewing. “Nah, she don’t know nuttin’.”

  The Geek’s head snapped around. “Yo! Meathead! Shut up, already! Whose doing the interrogating around here, you or me?”

  He took another look through the window, grinned and said, “Hey, that’d be something to see, huh? Imagine that…this big blimp hitting the stoop all the way down there like a big, fat, juicy watermelon?”

  His eyes shifted back and forth as he took quick glances at Mary.

  “Ah…yeah, it wouldn’t be no problem for me, neither. We don’t even have to open it…just ram ol’ fatty, Mary Mary’s ass right through this glass.”

  “Ohhh!” Mary lowered her face into her lap, sobbing and shaking with her hands covering her head.

  “This is your last chance lady. Where’s the money? Tell us where it is and we’ll leave you alone.”

  “Please! I don’t know where the money is.” (Sob! Sniffle! Snort!)

  “Hey…forget it! Come on Eddie, let’s check the rest of this room out.”

  The Geek grabbed a towel and tossed it to Mary. “Wipe that snot off your face. I’m tired of lookin’ at it.”

  Starting at the far corner, Big Jimmy threw books onto the floor and spilled boxes open. The closet was particularly hard to get to. Eddie had to up-end furniture and du
mp them on top of one another. Once inside, he threw everything from the closet back into the room, checking pockets and shoes or anything that could conceal money.

  “That other room is empty,” said Tommy, a cigarette hanging from his lips upon stepping through the open doorway. “Yep, I checked under the carpet, too, like you told me to do in Barnes’ room, right Big Jimmy? Ya want me to cut her?”

  The Geek frowned. “Why is it I’m getting awfully tired of you?”

  “Who me, Big Jimmy?”

  “Yeah, you! Okay, listen up. I don’t think this broad knows anything. I mean…look at her. Does that look like something the Barnes would go for?”

  “No, not really,” said Fast Eddie, eyeing Mary scrunched into the recliner.

  “Look…we already checked behind door number one and the bathroom, right?”

  “Right!”

  We also checked behind door number two, this door, and there’s nothing behind here either. So it’s gotta be behind another door?”

  “Door number three!” Eddie pointedly answered. Da empty room what’s across da hall?” Snap! Chew! Chew!

  “No, not that door! Tommy already checked that one. The one Barnes took with him to the grave.”

  “Oh, yeah, that’s right!” said Tommy.

  “Door numba four! Da race track!” said Fast Eddie. Snap! Pop!

  “Exactly, said Jimmy. “That’s what I was thinking. Come on…let’s get the hell out of here. We wasted enough time.”

  Mary felt overwhelmed with relief. They were finally leaving.

  “Remember! We were never here,” the Geek said, pointing his finger at her. “And don’t forget what I told you about the window, so keep your trap shut.”

  “I won’t say anything,” she said, blowing her nose and wiping her eyes.

  Eddie lingered behind. Hearing Tommy go down the steps behind the Geek, he turned to Mary and as nicely as he could put it, or with as much finesse as a frog, said, “Ya knows what Mary? I knew yas didn’t know nuttin’ ‘bout no money.” Snap! “See…dat’s why I kinda laid back like and didn’t say nuttin’ bad. I was protectin’ ya, I really was, see?” Snap! Pop! “So whaddy say I come back a liddle layda for a liddle…ah, you know, a liddle tumble? Well? Waddya say?”

  “Oh, please leave me alone. Please!” Mary murmured beneath her sobs.