Big Easy Bonanza

contact.
    “He’s my brother-in-law. And he’s sent me with a message. I’ve got to give it personally to Darryl Alvarez.”
    “Okay, we’ll see. What’s your name?”
    “Harold,” said Harold.
    She rang the office on the house phone. Darryl answered “Yes” the way he always did.
    “I’ve got a guy down here named Harold who says he’s Tubby Dubonnet’s brother-in-law. Do you want to talk to him? He says he’s got a message, and it’s important, et cetera.” She was watching Harold empty the peanut bowl on the bar.
    “Send him up,” Darryl said.
    Monique told one of the girls to show Harold the way. He said thanks a lot very sincerely and pocketed a handful of matches.
    Not much later she saw him come back down the stairs and go out the front door toward the street. After work, she asked Darryl what it was about. He must have had a little toot because he really started talking.
    “That little fruitcake tried to score,” he said. “He said he wanted some crack for Tubby. I don’t know him from Adam. I would have thrown him out right then, but I heard what he had to say in case, you know, it might be for real. I didn’t know if he was trying to set me up or what. Finally I told the asshole I’d have to call Tubby to check him out, and he started talking a mile a minute, trying to run a con on me. He gave me all these reasons why I couldn’t call Tubby. It was just bullshit. Finally I had enough and told him to get the fuck out of here.”
    “Is he really related to your lawyer?”
    “I seriously doubt it. This guy is a real putz.”
    “Do you think Mr. Dubonnet is into drugs?”
    “I’d have to doubt that, too. I don’t think that would be his type of action. Horses, maybe. Not drugs.”
    “Why? You got the idea lawyers don’t do cocaine?”
    “I wouldn’t make that mistake. Lawyers are the worst. Hey, my biggest headaches come from lawyers. Lawyers and cops.
    “Cops like Casey?” she asked. It slipped out.
    “How do you know his name?”
    “He told me the night, you know, that you introduced me to him.” She was freaking, but he didn’t see it.
    “Casey’s no cop,” he said. “He’s some kind of investigator for Sheriff Mulé. He’s just a hood, really. He runs little scams down at the jail and does whatever the sheriff tells him to do. He wasn’t involved in this deal. I wonder more about the guy who was with Casey, the one who actually brought me the money.” Darryl didn’t tell her the man’s name.
    “Are you thinking he set you up?”
    “Maybe, but I don’t see how. He didn’t know the when or the where. I made the arrangements myself, with people I’ve done business with in the past. The guy you saw introduced me to the major player, the son of a bitch who financed this fucking disaster here. This guy’s very rich. He’s got a big house in the Garden District, with the slave quarters and everything. I’ve been down by it. I’ve never been inside, of course. He wouldn’t want the little lady to see me. He acts like a Greek god or something. He knows people who want to put up some money. High risk. High yield. All cash. Can I provide the product? Will I pick it up and distribute it? Of course I will. Then everybody makes lots of money. Their investment pays off well. He’s the guy I felt I could trust, ‘cause he’s so rich. But I don’t know. He’s just not my type. That may be where I got in trouble. Maybe I misread him.”
    Monique didn’t say anything.
    “That’s why I had you hold the money, Monique. Just because I wasn’t sure.”
    “What’s he going to do now?”
    “I know he wants to talk to me real bad, just like I want to talk to him. We need to straighten out what happened. I need to find out what he’s going to do for me. Right now I’d guess he’s pretty anxious to get his money back. I just haven’t thought of a safe way for us to get together yet.”
    “Do you think he can get you out of this?”
    “I think he can. He knows the right strings to pull. The question is will he pull them. I’ll say this. If he doesn’t get me out of this jam, he’s going to be short one big pile of money.”
    Darryl didn’t tell Monique what Tubby had said about the eight years. After he wound down a little bit, they made gentle love on the upholstered chair in the office, with the television blaring and the wall monitors flashing live scenes from the barroom below. Later, Darryl sat in front of the TV, flipping channels. Monique curled