Kiss of the Wolf (14 page)

“What do you mean?” Nancy asked.

“Were they good friends? Did they, like, work together? I didn't know they were so close.”

“They both worked for that guy outta Bridgeport,” Nancy said. “Joey D, too. He was moonlighting.

“What guy?”

“That guy, you know,” Nancy said. “Ran the scrap-metal place. What's-his-name.”

Joanie turned to face her. “I don't know. What's his name?”

Nancy shrugged.

“What're you tellin' me?” Joanie said, exasperated. “They all sold scrap metal?”

Nancy made a “don't be a wiseass” face.

They heard a car door. Nancy stood and leaned over the table to look out the kitchen window. Her expression changed completely, and she flopped back into her chair. “Your boyfriend's here,” she said.

“Oh, for God's sake,” Joanie said.

“
Ho,
” Bruno called from the back door. Audrey barked. “
Shut
up,” he said.

The dog ran up to him, sniffing and swinging her rear end back and forth. “Get away from me, you sack of shit,” he said mildly, rubbing her head. He pushed past her into the kitchen, his thigh sweeping her aside. He noticed the new washer—dryer she'd just put in and he ran his hand over it.

“Thought I'd stop by on the way to the dealership, see how you're doin',” he said. He looked over at Nancy. “Well, isn't this nice,” he said. “The girls're havin' coffee.”

“Hi, Bruno,” Nancy said.

“Joanie? Hello?” Bruno said. He lowered his head to peer up at her.

“Bruno, how are you,” she said.

“I'm not gonna take up your time, here,” he said. “You got things to talk about, girl things. Feminine hygiene. I just wanted to remind you about what you said.”

Joanie looked at him. “What'd I say?”

“You wanted to know why I wasn't asking you out. And I never did. So now I am.”

Nancy looked down at the floor. Joanie looked away.

“'Less you changed your mind,” Bruno said. “Came to your senses.”

Joanie didn't answer. Bruno stood there with his hands out, like he was waiting for something he was due. The coffeepot finished bubbling and spitting.

“Bruno, your timing is something,” Joanie said quietly.

“No, it's all right,” Nancy said.

Joanie brought the coffeepot over and poured Nancy coffee.

“I got a boss waitin' on me, here,” he said.

“Bruno,” Joanie said.

He put his hands wider apart. “I'm a slave for love. I admit it. I humiliate myself in front of other people—I admit it.”

“You want cream?” Joanie asked. Nancy shook her head.

“You think about it,” Bruno said. “You get back to me.”

Joanie put the coffeepot back into the maker. The phone rang. Bruno picked it up and handed it to her without saying hello.

“Hello?” Joanie said.

“This is J and L Gulf,” a voice said. “We can get the parts two a clock, two-thirty this afternoon.”

Joanie cupped a hand around the mouthpiece. Bruno dropped his mouth and raised his eyebrows in a comic way. “Look at Secret Spy over here,” he said.

“So it's okay?” Joanie asked.

“Yeah. Yeah, you bring it in, we'll get it done,” the guy said.

“I don't think I want any coffee,” Bruno said. “I gotta get going, anyway.”

“Nobody offered you any,” Nancy said.

“No kidding,” Bruno said.

“Though you take it away today, you're gonna take it away wet,” the guy on the other end said. “Long as you know that.”

Joanie pursed her lips, thinking.

“Hello?” the guy said. “You comin' in or not?”

“Yes,” she said. “That's all right.” She hung up.

“Ask Bruno about that guy,” Nancy said.

“Nancy,” Joanie said.

“What guy?” Bruno asked. He opened the pastry box on the counter near the refrigerator and looked inside.

“Joanie wanted to know about that guy you and Tommy worked for.”

Bruno looked immediately at Joanie.

“I was curious how you knew Tommy, that's all,” she said.

Bruno shook his head. He lifted something in the pastry box and let it go again.

“Why, is he a mob guy or something?” Joanie asked.

Bruno made a disgusted noise and shook his head again. “Movies,” he said.

“Is that it?” Joanie asked.

He turned to face her and scared her a little. “'Mob guy'? What is this, the
cinema?
What are you, the G-man? You asking me if this guy is legitimate, one hundred percent? I say: No, he's not. I say to you: Not many people
are.
”

“I'm just
ask
ing,” Joanie murmured.

“You're
not
‘just askin'. You say to me: What does he do that's
not
legitimate? I say to you: None of your business. Here's a good rule of thumb if you want to do something that's not legitimate: Keep it
quiet.
”

The phone rang again. Joanie answered it. It was a garage in New Haven: they'd found the bumper but not the grillwork. She told them it was all taken care of, anyway.

“Gettin' a lotta short phone calls,” Bruno said when she hung up.

Todd came into the room and opened the refrigerator.

“Man o' the house,” Bruno said.

“Hey, Bruno,” Todd said, his head in the refrigerator.

“Hello, Todd,” Nancy said.

“Hello, Nancy,” Todd said.

“Todd know his mom's bein' questioned by the police?” Bruno asked.

Todd froze behind the door. The shifting and sliding sounds of his search stopped.

He stuck his head up and looked at Joanie.

“A friend of Bruno's,” she said. “That's all. He just wants to go over what they already know.”

She was about to say something else to reassure him, but the phone rang again. She made an enraged sound and snatched it up. Bruno chuckled.

It was the Orange garage. They couldn't do it today, or tomorrow, either.

“So how's
your
memory about drivin' home that night?” Bruno asked quietly.

Todd spooned vanilla yogurt from the tub into a dish. He shrugged. His face flushed.

Joanie told the garage it was already taken care of.

“Todd,” she said. When Todd looked at her, angry, she said, “See if anyone else wants some.”

“None for me,” Bruno said. “Yogurt? Holy God.”

“Lemme make sure we're canceling the right party here,” the voice on the phone said. “This is Mulenberg?”

“Muhlberg, yes,” she said. Bruno looked at her, and she rolled her eyes and circled her index finger near her temple.

“Muhlberg?” the guy said. “Not Mulenberg?”

“Poor Tommy. Terrible thing,” Nancy murmured to Todd. He nodded, but he couldn't look at her.

“Muhlberg, Mulenberg, cancel them all,” Joanie said. She had to go; thank you. She hung up.

“Subscriptions,” she said to Bruno.

Todd stood in the doorway to the hall and ate his yogurt. “So when are you gonna be questioned by the police?” he asked.

“Sit at the table,” Bruno said. He was leaning against the wall with his arms folded. “You're gonna get indigestion.”

“These kids don't care,” Nancy said.

“Nobody gave Bruno any coffee?” Todd said.

“We never got Todd's side of the story,” Bruno said. “You're a passenger, you see a lotta things the driver misses.”

The phone rang again. Joanie swore.

“Get me a copy of
Field and Stream,
” Bruno said. “And get a copy of
Modern Bride
for Nancy here.”

“Fuck you, Bruno,” Nancy said.

It was Nina. “Who's over there?” Nina said.

“What happened to ‘Hello,' Ma?” Joanie said.

“What's
your
problem?” Nina said. “I just asked who's over there.”

“Nancy,” Joanie said. “And Bruno.”

“Who's that? That your mother? Send her my love,” Bruno said.

“What'd he say?” Nina asked.

“He said he's sorry he's always rude to you,” Joanie said.

“Tell him not to get fresh,” Nina said.

“Don't you hafta be at the dealership?” Nancy asked. “Shouldn't you be cheatin' some widow out of her life savings at this point?”

“Yeah, I gotta go,” Bruno said. “Todd, Yankee game: tomorrow night?”

Todd blinked, still holding his yogurt dish. “At the Stadium?” he asked.

“No, at my house,” Bruno said. “I'll buy chips.
Acourse
the Stadium.”

“When did this come up?” Joanie asked, a little panicked. “When'd you get this idea?”

“When did what come up?” Nina asked.

“Hold on, Ma,” Joanie said.

“What?” Bruno said. “Just now. You heard it.”

“I got
Ad Altare Dei
Wednesday,” Todd said.

Bruno shrugged and turned his head slightly to the side. “And I'm busy Christmas Eve. But I'm talking
tomorrow
night here.”

“Okay. That'd be great,” Todd said.

“I'll pick you up six o'clock,” Bruno said. “We'll get something down there.”

“Are you still there?” Nina said. “Hello?”

“I'm not sure about this,” Joanie said, trying to get Todd's attention.

“Thanks for your input,” Bruno said, heading for the door. “I'm outta here. Tell your mother she drove me out of the house.”

“She'll be thrilled,” Joanie said. “Ma, you just drove Bruno out of the house.”

“I'm thrilled,” Nina said.

Bruno pointed to Joanie. “You think about where
you
wanna go. Remember, the date was your idea.” He had the door open and he pointed to Nancy. “Nancy. Hang in there.”

“Fuck you, Bruno,” she said again.

Bruno spread his hands wide for Todd. “I come in, I'm polite, I get shit on,” he said. He went out the door whistling.

“Nancy,” Joanie said.

“Well, he pisses me off,” she said. “Rubbing my face in it.”

“I know,” Joanie said.

“Rubbing your face in what?” Todd asked.

“Todd, leave it alone,” Joanie said. He tossed his empty dish and spoon onto the counter with a clatter, and turned and stalked off.

“Is he getting fresh?” Nina said.

“Ma, come over if you wanna talk,” Joanie said, exasperated. “Between you on the phone and everybody, I'm goin' nuts here.”

“Pardon me for living,” Nina said. “Good-bye and good luck.” She hung up.

Joanie looked at the phone and blew out some air before hanging up.

She turned to face Nancy. She wanted to get rid of her so she could talk to Todd. She didn't want to imagine Bruno working on Todd for four hours at a baseball game, and they had to figure a way to get out of it.

“So what d'you got planned for today?” she asked Nancy. “You want more coffee?”

“Sure,” Nancy said. “Pisses me off when he does that.” She handed her mug to Joanie.

“Bruno's Bruno,” Joanie said.

“Well, that's helpful.”

“Well, it's true.” She poured what was left in the coffeepot. “There's only half a cup here.”

“Make another pot,” Nancy said.

Joanie closed her eyes, her back to Nancy, and rubbed her face. “I think I'm out,” she said.

“No, you're not out,” Nancy said. “I felt the can.”

Joanie grabbed the can and ripped off the lid.

She heard Todd on the stairs and then at the front door. “I'm goin' out,” he called.

“Todd?” she called back. “Todd?” She leaned sideways to see down the hallway. “Where you goin'?

“Out,” he called. The front door slammed.

“Ah, they're something, aren't they?” Nancy said. She sighed.

“Hold on a sec,” Joanie said. She hurried to the front door. She swung it inward and looked both ways down the street. He was already gone. Had he gone around the side of the house?

“How could he disappear that fast?” she said, coming back down the hall.

She sat at the table, after starting another pot of coffee.

Nancy was the last person she needed to deal with right now. “I'm real busy,” she said.

Nancy looked down.

Come on, Joanie thought. This is your best friend.

“Hey,” she said. “How're you doin'?”

Nancy leaned forward in her chair and put her elbows on her knees. She gave Joanie a little smile and looked down the hall toward the living room. “You heard anything from Gary?” she asked.

Joanie wanted to help, but she didn't have time for this. And she was worried about Todd. “Don't worry about Bruno,” she said. “He's all talk.”

“I didn't just bring it up because a Bruno,” Nancy said. “I been thinking about you.”

“Thanks,” Joanie said, but she didn't sound as touched as she felt.

They both were staring down the cluttered hallway.

“You're really letting the house go,” Nancy said. She sounded sad rather than judgmental, but Joanie was still a little offended.

Joanie got up and poured their coffee. She pushed the half-and-half closer to Nancy's cup with two fingers.

“We gonna talk, or what?” Nancy said.

“What're we doin' now?” Joanie asked.

Nancy snorted.

They went all the way back to junior high. Joanie remembered a night before a Spring Fling dance, the two of them improvising to disguise the little cycle of good dance clothes they owned.

“The Gary thing got me down, and …” She searched around for something else. She was terrible at this, even when she was telling the truth. “Bruno's been a pain.”

Nancy looked away.

“I'm sorry,” Joanie said. “You know what I mean.” What she meant was, I'm sorry about the way you feel about Bruno.