The Invisible Hand - A crime novel

Chapter 74

                 

"The fuck you doing?"

It's Taw. He's not happy. Barges into the RV.

"Just checking something," I say. "What the are you doing? This isn't your RV."

Sam closes the divider. I move to block the view.

"Checking what exactly?" Taw says. "I saw you walk in here like it's your break or something. No one leaves the rig without me saying so, shit worm."

I hesitate. Can't tell if he knows about Sam.

"I'll get back to it," I say.

Taw raises a hand.

"This isn't your RV. It's Lou's. Not the best worker, but he was worth keeping around," Taw says. "You know what I mean?"

That stops me. The way he says it. He knows.

Gotta play this cool.

"Yeah? We got things in common, I guess," I say.

"I guess you do," Taw says. Takes a step toward me. His frame fills up the narrow RV. "Lou owes me some money."

"That a fact?" I say. Stand in place.

"Yeah. Seeing as how I'm a partner and all," Taw says.

"In what?" I say.

"You know what I'm talking about, shit worm. He'd bring in the dope and the whore. Pay me for the privilege of pushing it here. Like I told you. This is my rig," Taw says.

I feel the dope in my pocket again. And the money. It all presses hard against my leg.

I'm not sure how far to take this situation. Les will want to know about Taw taking a cut. That's worth something. But handing Les's money over without permission is a line I don't feel like crossing.

"I'm not Lou," I say.

"You don't want to pay up, fine. I'm reasonable," Taw says. "How about me and the crew take a run at the pussy you've got behind that door instead? Lou always set that up for us."

My bones ache from half a day of work. Not sure how anyone could fuck after a shift. Of course, I'm not cranked on meth, either.

"Not interested," I say.

"I don't remember making an offer," Taw says. "I want something, I take it."

He's too big for me to stop. If he wants into the bedroom, he'll just go. I need to buy him off for now. Slip away after work. Tell Les what's up. Ride that line between keeping both Les and Taw happy – and Sam and me healthy.

"How about this instead?" I say. Reach into my coveralls. Pull out a single baggie.

Taw grabs it from my hand. Stuffs it into a pocket.

"The rest of it. Give it to me," he says.

The choice is down to Taw or Les. Who do I want to risk pissing off?

It's not a hard decision. Les isn't bearing down on me like a grizzly bear with an ear infection.

I empty my pockets into Taw's massive paw. The dope. The money. Everything.

"Now you're playing fair," Taw says. "My crew will still be by for samples on that whore later. Then we're even."

He slaps me on the back. I know what they'll be sampling.

"Even," I say.

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