Chapter 20

“A very nice day,” said Marian. “So, this is Turtle Park?”

“Yes, to both things. But it is going to heat up some, over a hundred is the prediction,” I said.

“I don’t care; I like the heat,” she said.

“Me too, I’m an old desert rat from way back when,” I said. “I used to dream about the heat when I was in prison; it was always so cold in there. Part of our punishment, I guess.”

“Hmm,” she said.

I noticed a small group of young people: a couple of kindergartners or maybe first graders and an older girl. Siblings, I supposed. I had a thought, a random thought.

“Marian, see those kids over there?” I said. She looked to where I was nodding.

“Yes, the teenager and the little kids?” she said.

“Yes, the teenager, how old do you think?” I said.

“I don’t know, maybe eighteen or twenty. Could be a single mom I guess,” she said.

“Yeah maybe,” I said. But I was beginning to put two and two together. It would be one hell of a coincidence, but I was becoming surer and surer that I was seeing the bad guys’ kids for the first time. Did I care? I actually was beginning to think that I did! The two little ones were twins!

I passed the keys to close up the bar to Marian. I’d be back to pick her up in my new-old pickup from work at 1:00 a.m. I drove off and headed home for a nap and a little TV: The Diamondbacks were playing The Dodgers in California.

Marian and I were doing good. We played a little at her place when I took her home, usually had a cup of tea, she was a tea drinker, and then I’d head home and cook me something simple before going to bed.

It was Saturday, June 23rd, ‘95. It had been a year since I’d last seen the bad guys in Phoenix. Did I still hate them? Good question. I think it would have been a better question to ask if I gave a damn about them. The answer, my answer, would be that no, I did not give a damn.

But I was working and Hank would be taking over in about half an hour and doubling up thereby with Marian, my fairly new old girlfriend. I would be her ride home at 1:00 a.m. she was the closer tonight.

But now, right now, my worst enemy in the whole world was coming in the door. followed by the young woman I’d noticed at Turtle park just days ago. I’d been right. That had been the Willis family, well the children thereof, that I’d seen that day. How do yuh like them apples!

“Two taps” he said, coming up to the bar, any brand.

I went to fulfill his order. I brought them back to the two of them.

“I assume your daughter there is old enough,” I said. “I don’t need to be getting into any more trouble because of you or the woman.”

“She’s twenty-two,” he said. “Oh, and meet Candace.” I nodded in the direction of the girl who looked to be underage, but I was certain that he’d been telling the truth: she was of age.

“And why would I want to be meeting any of your kids and hers,” I said. “Oh, let me answer my own question. I wouldn’t.”

“Still angry?” he said, and it was a question.

“Angry? Not really, I just don’t give a shit about any of you anymore,” I said.

“We need to talk,” he said.

“Can’t think of one damn reason why,” I said.

“Look, I thought you got off at 4:00 p.m., he said.

“Five,” I said. He looked at his watch. I figured it to be a Rolex, but I wasn’t certain.

“Forty more minutes. Could we talk then?” he said.

I was curious about the kid more than him and I couldn’t have said why. I nodded. He rose and the girl followed him to a table outside on the street side patio.

Twenty minutes later my relief arrived. I pulled Marian aside.

“He’s here,” I said, “and he’s got one of his kids with him.” I nodded to the couple out on the patio. She followed my gaze.

“You want me to call the cops?” she said, smiling, “or maybe a friend of mine in the mafia?”

“I’ll let you know,” I said.

“Hmm,” she said.

“I don’t hate the motherfucker anymore. I just don’t give a shit whether he lives or dies, or any of them if it comes to that,” I said.

“What are you two talking about,” said Hank, coming back into the action from the bathroom.

“Marian will clue you,” I said. “I have a little meeting with the pair outside.” I nodded once again in the direction of the visitors.

“Oh, okay,” he said.

“You guys got this?” I said.

“Yeah, count it as twenty minutes off your lunch tomorrow,” said Hank. Well, he was the owner, one of them. I smirked, poured myself a tap, and headed outside.

I plopped down across from Blake Willis, oh, and Candace Willis. Twenty-two-years-old Candace Willis.

“So?” I said. The man looked over at his daughter and then back at me. The girl looked nervous. I couldn’t figure why she would be, but she was, that was more than clear to me.

“Julian, you’re my brother. I did you wrong and so did Ava. We own that,” he said, and waited for me to say something. I didn’t.

He continued. Twenty some years ago, a man was shot, on January 14th, 1972,” he said. He waited again, and so did I.

“The night before Dante Rodriguez was killed you and Ava Gardner made love. It was the only time you made love, so Ava told me later,” he said. I finally spoke.

“So, fucking what?” I said.

“Julian, I hope you will remain calm when I tell you what I have to tell you now,” he said. I again waited. So, did he, for a full minute.

“You got her pregnant. Meet your daughter,” he said. I started to laugh. He didn’t, laugh that is.