Flamethrower - Maggie Estep [41]
Tobias hadn’t mentioned that in addition to being a crone, Millicent was foulmouthed. Of course, Ruby respected a woman who cursed.
“A patient of Jody’s,” Ruby said in her most reserved voice.
“Oh? And how is it you know the bum?”
“What?”
“Tobias.”
“Long story. Listen, could I come see you, talk to you in person? Maybe tomorrow?” Ruby realized she wasn’t going to get very far with this woman over the phone.
“I won’t keep you long,” Ruby added.
“Yeah, all right.” The Crone gave Ruby an address up in Harlem. Ruby wondered what the very white-sounding Crone was doing living in Harlem. Like all of Manhattan, Harlem had gotten gentrified, but it still wasn’t where Ruby would have expected her psychiatrist’s crone ex-lover to live.
The Crone told Ruby to come at ten. Ruby agreed she’d be there and hung up before Millie had time to change her mind.
Ruby had a hunch the whole Crone thing would take up a lot of time. She called Glenda at home to tell her she couldn’t work the next afternoon.
“Glenda, it’s Ruby.”
“You quitting already?”
She hadn’t planned on it, but it suddenly seemed like the best idea in the world. Ruby wasn’t even sure she could count on Tobias to come through with that thousand dollars he’d promised, but she decided to risk it.
“Yeah,” Ruby said.
“You coming in tomorrow at least?”
“I can’t, I’m sorry.”
“What happened to that notice you promised you’d give me? Huh?”
“I could try to come in late afternoon,” Ruby said, even though she really didn’t want to.
“Ah, it’s all right. Gonna rain tomorrow anyway. Probably would have sent you home.”
“Oh,” Ruby said.
“Okay, you’re off the hook.”
“Thanks, Glenda,” Ruby said.
“Don’t mention it.” Glenda hung up in Ruby’s ear.
Ruby went to find Stinky, scooped him into her arms, then deposited him on the bed and crawled under the covers.
RUBY GOT UP AT 5 A.M. so she’d have time to do her chores at The Hole before going to see The Crone. She’d had only four hours’ sleep and was stiff and tired. She drank two espressos, read a few pages of Rats, fed the cats, and left the house. She’d called Emilio the previous night, warning him she’d need her car by five-thirty in the morning. He’d grumbled then said he’d send his nephew, Phil, to get the car for her.
Ruby reached the lot, but it was locked and Phil wasn’t there. Ruby foraged through her bag, found her cigarettes, and lit up. Her lungs ached as she inhaled, and the ache felt right somehow. As though doing this to her body would lighten the load on her mind.
To the east, daylight started fringing the sky. Ruby imagined the rides waking up, their long metal wings groaning to life, their elegant skeletons begging for grease before carrying that day’s load of fun-starved fiends.
Across the street, the Three Brothers Deli was open, its sickly yellow light the lone beacon on the block. As Ruby smoked, an old man wearing a winter coat and nasty-looking bedroom slippers shuffled inside the deli and started waving his arms around. Ruby couldn’t tell what he was shouting, but it must have been threatening. Ruby had just stubbed out her cigarette when a cop car pulled up and two officers, both female, got out. Ruby was considering taking a few steps closer to watch the drama unfold when Phil finally appeared. He was a small guy with jet-black hair and a ridiculously small nose. He was probably young but was one of those people who’d looked old by age twelve.
“Marlon making a stink again?” Phil asked Ruby.
“Huh?”
“Old bum guy in the deli? Wearing a big coat?”
“Oh. Yeah. He’s a regular?”
“Oh yeah,” Phil said. “I’ll get your car,” he added, apparently losing interest in the deli drama.
While Ruby waited, she watched the cops escorting Marlon out of the deli. He was still shouting, and one of his slippers was gone.
RUBY MADE IT TO The Hole in less than fifteen minutes, and by seven-thirty she’d mucked the stalls, fed Locksley, and groomed her horse. She was putting the wheelbarrow away in the stable yard when Coleman pulled up in his cream-colored Eldorado.