The Devil's Pet

Chapter 20

Monday June 29, 2008

11 AM and already he wanted a drink, it wasn’t as much want as it was need. He needed to be occupied by anything other than thoughts of his situation. Drinking was a good diversion but didn’t fill enough of his emptiness. He took a last drag on his cigarette and coughed, although it had been three days since he first lit-up, his lungs were still having trouble getting used to it. He flicked the butt away and opened the door. Once inside he bellied up to the bar and ordered a beer. Out of boredom he read the cigarette box warning and laughed at the thought that he would be lucky if he lived long enough to get cancer.

After his first beer he ordered a greasy burger and a shot of whiskey. He immediately noticed the bar had three patrons including him. He sat at the farthest seat from the door and away from them. He picked this place because it was open and looked like it wouldn’t draw the high brow lunch crowd. Dowdy and empty was what he wanted and this was it. The front door consisted of a screen covered wood frame held closed by a rusty spring causing it to bang loudly when released. It opened to a long room with a full length bar on the left and wall coat racks on the right. Beyond the bar there was a sizeable open room with dining tables and a faded red pool table.

Sleeping had been next to impossible last night. After his encounter with Sister yesterday he had the worst headaches each time he began to fall asleep, but as soon as he awoke, they went away. He could feel Sam trying to get into his head each time he started to doze off. No doubt Sam wanted to interrogate Sean about his surprise meeting with her. He guessed that Sister was blocking Sam and his headaches resulted from Sam trying to squeeze his way in. He considered it funny how he never remembered having a supernatural thought in his life before, and now he almost lived by them. Since he couldn’t sleep and he had already seen Cathy this morning he might as well drink the afternoon away. This place would do just fine to that end.

Jimmy watched Sean walk into Porter’s Pub then handed the binoculars to Deshaun so he could take a look. They were parked two blocks up from the Pub and had been following Sean for almost a week now.

Deshaun put the binoculars down and said, “I thought you said he was a straight arrow, then why is he going to the bar earlier every day? Look at him he’s been liquored up every day we’ve followed him. Jimmy, I’m getting tired of watching him go into bars while we sit in the car drinking Redbull and playing games on the phone. It’s like we’re turning into fucking cops or something, next thing you know we’ll start eating doughnuts and drinking coffee. When is this mystery man you got us chasing supposed to show up?”

Jimmy let it show he was annoyed and said, “If I knew that then we wouldn’t be here right now would we? What I do know is that if we follow Collins sooner or later he’ll lead us to him. And will you quit bouncing your leg up and down like that! How many of those damn Redbulls have you had this morning anyway? You drink that shit like it’s water and then you bounce up and down like some little kid with ADD and I’m not your fucking kindergarten teacher!  That’s it, that’s the last one you’re having today and tomorrow you only get one in the morning.” 

Jimmy paused and said, “Shit!  Now you really got me sounding like some damned school teacher and that ain’t right, that’s the thing about you that makes me want to beat you. I hate being responsible. I’d rather stick your head in the toilet and drown you, but it’s not the right move now so don’t make me do something stupid.”

“But Jimmy I don’t feel right unless I have three or four of my Bulls in the morning.”

“Nigger, I don’t care what you do any other morning, but if you’re sitting in the car with me you’re not drinking that shit because you’re beginning to wear a hole in my seat. You get so wired that you don’t even pay attention to me sitting next to you, so how are you going to see what’s going on outside the car? You’re driving me crazy, and besides too much of that shit can’t be good for you. I promised Odell a long time ago that if something happened to him I’d take care of you.”