Chapter 17

He pulled into Pearl’s place. Been thirteen years since I’d been here; Hell, it occurred to me that it had been thirteen years since I’d been in a wheeled vehicle, let alone a diner. So why was I not surprised that it was Pearl’s B&G. I figured I’d soon know. I wondered if she was inside. I’d soon know that too.

The place had changed some. Another big surprise-facetiosity being my singular claim to fame today.

We took our seats. “A beer,” said my chauffeur. It occurred to me I didn’t even know his name. I would now because I decided to ask.

“Who are you mister? We’ve been on the road for hours and you know who I am but that’s a one-way street. If it’s a secret I’m out of here now,” I said.

“Sorry, it didn’t even occur to me. My name’s Hightower, James Hightower,” he said.

“Okay, and yes, I’ll have a beer,” I said.

“Mister Brown, I am kind of a stand in today for your lady friend, Lea. You knew her as Leah Scott, but she...” I held up my hand. His words suddenly caused me to have a couple of things to say first.

“Mister Hightower...” I started.

“Jim,” he said. I nodded.

“Okay, Jim. Before you continue, I need to say a few things. Kind of warn you, if I may say so. Not you specifically, but there are s few things that I may not want to know about. We shall see about that; I mean in this next while.

The beers were delivered. I drank mine in not quite one go. Damn it that was good. I decided to say so. “Damn that was good,” I said. “Might I have another?” The man smiled and nodded. He waved to a touring waitress and ordered us another round.”

“Jim, is she married?” I said, putting it out there.

“Yes,” he said.

“Happily?” I said.

“Yes. I mean I don’t live with them, but they seem so,” he said.

“Okay, please do not tell me his name or her new last name unless I ask for it. Would that be all right with you?”

“Yes,” he said. I nodded.

“So far so good,” I said, and smiled. “Jim, I told my woman that if she did meet a good man and married him that it would be all right with me, that I would understand. I mean I was inside for so long.”

“Okay,” he said. “That’s good then, right? We’re good, and no I am not the man. I mean if you thought I was playing games here or something.” I laughed, but not too uproariously.

“No, I didn’t think that,” I said. “But there is one thing, that my, ex-woman, I guess she is that now, knew had to be inviolate. We had an agreement...”

“Sir, before you go on...”

“Andy,” I said. He smiled.

“Thank you, Andy. I have something to give to you that you need to look at first,” he said.

He pushed a manila envelope across the table to me.

“What?” I said.

“Please,” he said. I pulled it toward me, the envelope, and opened it and glanced at the contents.

I frowned. “That much money could only mean that she has broken her sworn to me promise.

“The other man has adopted my baby, hasn’t he?” I said. Jim nodded.

“But that is twenty million dollars, Andy. He wants you to have it. So, does she,” said Jim.

“There will never be enough money to buy my daughter,” I said. I put the papers back in the envelope and tore it in half before pushing the halves back across the table to him.

“I do have one little favor to ask of you, Jim. Please?” I said. He looked shocked, but he nodded.

“Tell them that I never want to see any of them ever, know their names, any of it. And I don’t give a rat’s ass about their money. But really, no matter what, tell them what I’ve said here. She broke her word to me and that is unforgivable, ever!” I said. “I’ll be fine, but please make sure they know, the both of them, that I will hate them with every breath I take until my dying day.” The second beers came and I downed mine once again, smiled, rose, and left. He didn’t try to stop me.